I've been looking for awhile for a CAI for my 2005 1500 hemi and i came across the Vararam. The stats for improvement on the performance seem to be pretty incredible. Does anyone know from personal experience that the Vararam is that much better than like a K&N or Airaid that it makes more sense to buy it? Thanks

 

I also have a custom ARB bumper for my truck and i see there is hoses for it. would it work for with that bumper?

 

From everything I've read on here, the Vararam is worth the cash, performance-wise. I was pretty set on getting one, myself, but there are (not as many as some would like you to thinkg) some reports of people hydrolocking their engine and other damage due to water intake, since the hoses are so low and the intake is direct from outside the vehicle. Granted, at least one of these reports the driver completely submerged the intakes, so that's expected. Others claim it's just from driving behind other vehicles in the rain.

I'm still kind of on the fence about it, myself, since I'm all on the road over here, unfortunately. tempting, but not sure if it's worth the gamble for me, personally. How's precipitation up north there?

 

I'm sure you could get it to work with the Arb bumper with a little fabricating. Yes the Vararam outperforms a K&N and Airaid hands down because it is a TRUE CAI because it gets it's air from outside the vehicle instead of pulling in hot air from the engine bay.

As mentioned, the downside is you would be at considerably greater risk of hydrolocking because the air is taken in so low outside the truck. NOT a good option for a 4x4 obviously, but a 2WD strictly street truck is another story...

 

Thanks guys. The Vararam looks cool and all but after reading your comments im probably gonna go with a airaid or volant type of cold air intake because in sitka it rains way to much and i dont want to take the chance of it hydrolocking.

 

Another thing to keep in mind, the gains that system is capable of are not going to be achieved on a stock truck. The cooler air will certainly help, but what the system is capable of flowing will never be utilized on a stock truck. The same goes for almost all aftermarket induction setups. Large restriction free tubing and huge air filters on a stock engine are not going to give you any HP increase you will notice.

 

NV come one, we all have seat of the pants dynos and either way it doesnt matter or we wouldnt be here. Many of us are just happy to take a 6 - 10 yr educated engineers devised working prototype and change it, just to prove them wrong. If it wasnt the case, all of our threads would be boring and repetitve. Unfortunately engineers are smart, but (equally unfortunate) are castrated due to costs. An engineered intake is a cost vs performance analyisis. Nothing more. A stock intake setup is weighed with that in mind. They do seek to acheive a CAI and that is why most manufacturers pull from the fender well. I just dont understand why they do not insulate the intake system from underhood temperatures and in return get to advertise the extra 5-10 Hp in those beautifull little books you get from dodge. Seriously, it isnt worth it financially to them. Mostly we have money to blow and this truck is mine mentality, manufacturers have a board of directors that need income and after the sale, "the responsibility is not ours anymore, perception".

The Vararam is a good setup, honestly. It acheives what a CAI cannot, for the most part, except it still is uinsulated from the underhood temps, it only relies on the cold air from external region to reach to tb "colder" than stock. Never the less, under hood temps can exceed near boiling temps (possible overstatement). 1/4" of plastic is worthless in keeping that heat out. Also, I find it impossiby hard to believe that a TB can pull, from 2 seperate intake hoses, water up more than 2' (atleast) of vertical rise inside of multiple 2 - 3" hoses, even with both ends submerged completely. The water will begin as a solid, but refract into partial air particles. Every inch that it succeeded in ascention would create a mass of multiple forces, partial to complete atomization, which would create smaller and smaller water vs air particles at every inch of ascention. Assume the water made the distance , the intake hoses would weigh 15+ lbs each depending on length (8.34 lbs per gallon and at the CFm would be 7.48 GPM of water. The equalization of two intakes, and at 3" each from the filter to the bumper) and would probably pull away from the connectors, lose suction, stall due to lack of air with a now extreme -intake manifold pressure. More so impossible with a rain/air mix. The water droplets have weight, where air volume has little. The droplets of water would make a portion of the journey up the intake and the drag coefficient + air resistance/vs weighted material/vs weightless air + would counter the water "fog" - "droplets" , leaving the water to collide with the walls of the intake tube and drain out, while the air travelled mostly unimpeded into the TB. This is due to the physics. Every system of air induction, also has loss. If the 3" intake is pulling at 20 psi overall, then the highest psi of the system is at 23 - 28 psi (give or take) in the center of the intake tube, while the exterior of the induced air is actually circulating towards the exit (intake/filter), due to the drag on the exterior walls of the tube. Meanwhile the loss due to the restriction of the drag is always less than the overalll system. Ex. Most commercial buildings have the same issue with water rise and can only create the proper pressure in 1" pipe at over 100 psi. I must admit that vs the stock system, the vararam does increase the chances of hydrolock. Whether the chances be .001%, .01%, or 1000%. You cant die while hang gliding if you dont hang glide.

Nv is an excellent person to bounce ideas off of as he, too, is intelligent. He is also correct. Manufactures of CAl intake and all other performance upgrades, seem to only tell you the top end performance gains. They fail to mention the 5000$ worth of other upgrades you need to gain that hp.

If you are going to spend 300 on a CAI, dont. It isnt a CAI. It is hype. Atleast the Vararam is a CAI. But dont fly through a 4' puddle at 30 mph and think its ok. Know what you got. Many people dont mud with the stock tires, cause they suck. If you want the benefits and dont want to hydrolock, then put one intake hose in the bumper and one in the hood scoop, upper fender well, or other place that will not see the same conditions. Like electricity, the air will be pullled from the easiest path available.

Seriously, anyone who can hydrolock an engine is an idiot. A person should be aware of the capabilities of any system they modify on a vehicle or most that come from the factory (especially since vehicle are expensive in todays market and come with a maual) , whether it be good or bad. If I have an intake system which pulls from under the bumper............duh. Puddles higher then the bumper are an issue. Ill bet the dude drove into the puddle and stalled due to a lack of air or the ability to get the CFM needed.. Which caused the A/F ratio to be undetonatable. I will bet my azz he then attempted to start the vehicle with the starter and the intakes still submerged in water. The starter has the ability to crank the engine under most circumstances and would pull in water and cause hydrolock.

Once have I seen hydrolock and I "saved" my friend from a "fun puddle" that left him sitting on the hood of his vehicle, till I got there. Without having to pay for the situation, I got my moneys worth. What a sad sight, "the puddle" was 40' round with him in the middle. We then pulled all the plugs and "started" the engine. I swear it was like a convention of 8 year olds with super soakers, water squarting everywhere. Whether he tried to start it, I dont know. I have to think he did not. Afterwords, I lubed all the cylinders with oil and my undermaintenanced friends car was not hindered for another 50,000 miles

Sorry for the long post (not really), but we wouldnt be here if we didnt want to read and be educated by others experiences

Here is the thread Nv and I are working on.
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...r-intakes.html

I have almost completed a safe CAI and will post pics soon. Even if the CAI system most of us were buying had 1000th of an inch of insulation, then the advertising would be correct. . All we got was a higher flowing system with higher air intake temps, which only just equal out. I am building mine and the cost is 100$ with the new K and N filter, we can do better all by ourselves, just view the FAQ.

 

That is the most I have ever typed in one sitting, Haha

 

t33n3r: hey sorry to just jump in the middle of ur conversation but was wondering if someone had the answer. I have a 2005 dodge ram 1500 single cab and im trying to put after market 17" rims on my truck but dont know if the bolt pattern will match. they are 5x5.5 135mm. Does anyone know if they will fit??

 

5x5.5 is 5x139.7mm but yes the bolt pattern is 5x5.5